1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to interactive communications between users and in particular to altering identifying attributes of a participant during interactive communications. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to altering identifying audio and/or video attributes of a participant during interactive communications, whether textual, audio or motion video.
2. Description of the Related Art
Individuals use aliases or xe2x80x9cscreen namesxe2x80x9d in chat rooms and instant messaging rather than their real name for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is security. An avatar, an identity assumed by a person, may also be used in chat rooms or instant messaging applications. While an alias typically has little depth and is usually limited to a name, an avatar may include many other attributes such as physical description (including gender), interests, hobbies, etc. for which the user provides inaccurate information in order to create an alternate identity.
As available communications bandwidth and processing power increases while compression/transmission techniques simultaneously improve, the text-based communications employed in chat rooms and instant messaging is likely to be enhanced and possibly replaced by voice or auditory communications or by video communications. Audio and video communications over the Internet are already being employed to some extent for chat rooms, particularly those providing adult-oriented content, and for Internet telephony. xe2x80x9cWebxe2x80x9d motion video cameras and video cards are becoming cheaper, as are audio cards with microphones, so the movement to audio and video communications over the Internet is likely to expand rapidly.
For technical, security, and aesthetic reasons, a need exists to allow users control over the attributes of audio and/or video communications. It would also be desirable to allow user control over identifying attributes of audio and video communications to create avatars substituting for the user.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to improve interactive communications between users.
It is another object of the present invention to alter identifying attributes of a participant during interactive communications.
It is yet another object of the present invention to alter identifying audio and/or video attributes of a participant during interactive communications, whether textual, audio or motion video.
The foregoing objects are achieved as is now described. Transforms are used for transcoding input text, audio and/or video input to provide a choice of text, audio and/or video output. Transcoding may be performed at a system operated by the communications originator, an intermediate transfer point in the communications path, and/or at one or more system(s) operated by the recipient(s). Transcoding of the communications input, particular voice and image portions, may be employed to alter identifying characteristics to create an avatar for a user originating the communications input.
The above as well as additional objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed written description.